Wednesday, April 2, 2014

World Autism Awareness Day [AND APERA BAG GIVEAWAY WINNER]

Do you know anyone with Autism? The chances are pretty good, considering the new numbers out from the CDC (click here for details).

"Behind these numbers are real people," he says. "Every one of these numbers is a family that's coming to terms with the implications of the diagnosis for the lifespan of their loved one."

Do you know what Autism is or what the symptoms are? Let me break this down. It's a developmental disability, which could include social, communication, motor, and emotional delays, sensory processing problems, and often include intellectual disabilities. Some other issues can include digestion, seizures, sleep dysfunctions, and other genetic disorders. Most individuals with Autism have their "own language", in that things might need to be explained in different forms or ways, and often need visual supports (i.e. pictures of choices, tasks, jobs, or locations). A unique bunch, to say the least!

"Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. However, symptoms and their severity vary widely across these three core areas. Taken together, they may result in relatively mild challenges for someone on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. For others, symptoms may be more severe, as when repetitive behaviors and lack of spoken language interfere with everyday life."

I'm wearing my blue ribbon all month, since the entire month of April is dedicated to Autism awareness. ;) Some of my favorite humans have Autism, yanno. Adaptive P.E. has made my life so much fun, and I love each and every individual with Autism I come across and get to work with.

The Light It Up Blue campaign, a part of Autism Speaks, brings awareness to this particular day by promoting blue all over the world. Click here to find a building near you that is lit blue today! Here's downtown Chicago. Awesome.